


Come Hell or High Water

by Portals_To_A_New_World



Series: Southern Charms [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Brief description of violence/medical stuff, But thats later, Eleanora McCoy is a firecracker, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Mild Smut, Post-Star Trek Beyond, Shore Leave, There will be both hell and high water in this, and also sexy times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2020-07-21 05:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19996615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Portals_To_A_New_World/pseuds/Portals_To_A_New_World
Summary: After the events of Yorktown, (Y/n), Bones, and Jim spend some quality time visiting with their families back on Earth. Bones has a few surprises in store for (Y/n), and the universe has a few surprises for everyone. (Sequel to You Know What They Say About Assuming)





	1. Yorktown

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify the timeline, 'Assuming' was set right after Into Darkness.

The week following the battle of Yorktown was a blur of debriefs, funerals, and ceremonies, not least among which was your promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and Chief Security Officer. You were still trying to wrap your head around it three days later as you sat beside Leonard, having dinner in an old-fashioned diner. A glance up at him revealed he had been speaking and judging by the way he was running his hands through his hair; you had missed something important. “Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?”

“I asked if you’d like to spend some time on Earth together. Jim mentioned he was going back for a month while they’re rebuilding the Enterprise, and I thought maybe we could visit our families while we’re there.”  _ Ah, that would explain why he seems so nervous. He wanted you to meet his family.  _ You couldn’t help but grin at the thought. You had met Jo already, albeit through vidcall, and almost immediately declared to Leonard that you would fight off an entire battalion of Klingons for her. His response had been a crushing hug, and when he pulled back to look at you through tear-filled eyes, he whispered,  _ “I love you”; _ the first time either of you had said it. That was nearly a year after you started dating, and since you’d grown close with her, bonding over your shared love for classical literature. Your own family had been asking when they were going to get to meet the man you never shut up about. You had a feeling he would be facing quite a bit of teasing from your brother in law; Jim really didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, so of course, everyone back home had heard about the….  _ confusion _ that preluded your relationship. You reached down to place your hand over the top of his with a smile.

“Doctor McCoy, it would be my honor to accompany you home,” His relief was apparent in the smile that spread across his face.

“Good, because Jim already booked the transport for six weeks from tomorrow.” You rolled your eyes. You started to comment when your brain finally did the math, and you realized when you’d be arriving on Earth.

“Hang on, that means we’ll be there in-” He cut you off, clearly knowing where you were going.

“Mid-August, yeah.” You let out a groan.  _ Dammit, Jim! _ Didn’t he realize that was smack dab in the middle of

“Hurricane season” You and Bones spoke in unison, earning more than a few looks from the tables around you. “Dammit, Len, it’s gonna be hotter than the pits of hell!” You whined.

“I know, darlin’,” He nodded and leaned in to whisper against your ear. “But now you have an excuse to wear those Daisy Duke’s you think you’ve been hiding,” Your eyes widened, and your mouth hung open, unable to form any words as he laughed. “Honestly, they’re just sitting in the top of your drawer, how did you think I wasn’t gonna notice?”

“Was supposed to be a surprise,” You mumbled indignantly. He just huffed another laugh into his drink before taking a sip.

“Should’ve thought of a better hiding place then.”

“What, like where you hid your bourbon back at the academy?” Jim’s voice said from behind you. You spun with a grin, ignoring Len’s annoyed eye roll.

“Was it in his sock drawer? Cause he still does that.”

“Hey!” You turned back to Leonard, giggling at his betrayed scowl. “Wait, what were you doing in my sock drawer?” He asked, looking slightly more concerned than you thought the situation should warrant.

“I needed a drink after all those ceremonies,” You shrugged. “Why? You got something else hidden in there?”

“No!” He said quickly. You looked over to Jim, who had taken the liberty of sliding into the seat across from you, and quirked a smile as he reached to grab Leonard’s glass of tea. “Who invited you, anyway?” Len grumbled, grabbing his drink from Kirk’s hand.

“Why, Bones, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I wasn’t welcome here,” Jim said as he grinned. Leonard opened his mouth, obviously intent on telling Jim exactly how much he wasn’t welcome, but you cut him off before he could speak.

“James Tiberius Kirk, what  _ do _ you want?” He cringed at the use of his full name.

“What did I do to warrant my full name?” He asked, moving his hand towards your glass. You pointed your fork at him accusingly, and he quickly withdrew it.

“What in the deep black expanse possessed your mind to plan a trip home in the middle of August?”

“What’s wrong with August?” You scoffed, looking at Leonard incredulously.  _ Can you believe this idiot? _ He just shrugged and shook his head. “What?” Jim demanded, clearly confused at your shared exasperation. “I like August, you can drive with the top down.”

“Jim. Am I correct in assuming that you’ve never been to the south during the summer?” He nods, face turning wary at your tone. “Wonderful, I’ll get to say I told you so. Now, what are you doing here?” He hesitated for a moment, a mix of emotions flashing across his face.

“I just came to celebrate with my newest CSO and her grumpy CMO boyfriend.” His tone was casual, but one glance at the way he was staring intently at the menu that the waitress handed him, jaw set, and shoulders tensed, and you knew he was lying. You looked over to Leonard to confirm your theory, and he gave a small nod.

“You wanna talk about it?” Len said softly. Jim sighed and dragged his hand down his face, shaking his head.

“It’s nothing, Bones.” He turned and gave his order to the waitress, flashing her a smile. “Just happy you guys are okay,” Recognition seemed to cross Leonard’s face at his words, but it was too quick for you to be sure. He looked over at you and offered a small smile as he took your hand in his.

“Yeah,” Len spoke gruffly, sending a shiver down your spine. “I know what you mean.” You raised an eyebrow, but he only brought your hand to his lips and place a kiss on your knuckles.

“If this is how you two celebrate, I’m gonna need to run home and raid your sock drawer,” You quipped, earning a laugh from across the table and an amused eye roll from beside you. You tensed as he leaned down to whisper in your ear again.

“Wait till we get home, and I’ll show you how I celebrate,” You flushed at his words, biting into your cheek to suppress a smirk.

“Bones, you could at least try to be subtle,” Jim said with a disapproving wag of his finger. You waggled your eyebrows at him before pulling a grinning Len down for a kiss. You broke apart, laughing at Jim’s frustrated sigh. “You two are insufferable.” He said though the small smile he tried to hide behind his glass gave him away. The evening continued as you all bickered and quipped and planned for the trip to Earth and true to his word, Leonard hosted a celebration for two when you returned to your shared apartment. When you both finally collapsed in each other’s arms, you drifted off into dreams about peaches and clear blue skies. Six weeks couldn’t go by fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Just a heads up for future chapters, I will be writing Joanna as around 14 years; mostly because I am soft at the idea of Bones getting to be there for his baby's first day of high school, but also because canonically speaking she would be 14 around the time this is set anyway. (I think, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) Anyway, I'll try and update at the very least once a month, but hopefully I'll be able to post a new chapter every other week. Thank y'all for reading, and stop by and let me know what you think in the comments :)


	2. Georgia On My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Met the McCoys, may or may not have scandalized one of them. (In all fairness, she had it coming)

Six weeks raced by in a flash, and now that you found yourself stepping out onto Georgia soil, the nerves finally kicked in. Len seemed to notice, and he wrapped an arm around your shoulder while placing a gentle kiss on your temple. You took a deep breath before looking up to see him smiling down at you so warmly your heart felt as if it might leap straight out of your chest. You returned the smile with one of your own, his growing wider at the sight. He leaned down to plant his lips on yours when a young voice cried out.

“DADDY!” His head shot up towards the voice, barely having time to remove his arm from around you before Joanna slammed into him in a hug.

“Oof! Hey, pumpkin!” He cried as he lifted and spun her around in the air a few times.

“I missed you!” She giggled. His grin was contagious as he finally set her down.

“I missed you too, Shug.” She stepped back and turned her gaze to you, smiling just as brightly as her father. “Since you call her more often than you call me nowadays,” He said jokingly as he stepped back to place a hand on your back. “I’m sure I don’t need to introduce (y/n).” You offered a small wave as you stepped forward, but she met you halfway, throwing her arms around you nearly as enthusiastically as she did with Bones. You laughed as you returned the hug.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you in person, (Y/n)!” She said as you parted.

“You too! I brought you some of the books we talked about,” Your heart glowed at the way her face lit up, reminding you of yourself at her age.

“Really? That’s awesome!!” Her excitement was contagious, and you soon lost yourself in the conversation. Much like her father, she had a pure heart of gold, and she was wickedly intelligent to boot. You probably would have stood there all night had a voice not called out to the two of you.

“Are you two nerds coming in or not? El’ says dinner’s almost ready.” Somehow, you’d managed to miss the arrival of Jim, and just to get on his nerves you turned around to yell out

“Supper!” However, you were underestimating the McCoy family, as every single one said the same thing with you, causing Jim to nearly jump out of his skin. You and Jo ended up in the grass, clutching your sides as you laughed, losing it every time you looked at Jim’s confused and indignant expression. Eventually, Leonard came out to drag you both inside, failing to hide his own smile. As you walked past Jim, you reached out and patted his face gently. “Welcome to the South, Jimbo,” He smacked your hand away jokingly.

“Yeah, whatever. Can’t believe I thought it would be a good idea to invite you two.” You started to reply when he grabbed you by the arm and quite literally dragged you into the living room. “Bones! Why don’t you introduce her to Donna?” Taking his cue, Len wrapped an arm around your shoulder as he walked you towards the couple sitting on the couch. He quickly let go, however, as the woman stood and pulled you into a near crushing hug.

“Oh my lord, it’s so nice to finally meet you! Jo’s told us so much about you; which is more than I can say for her father,” She gave Len’s shoulder a playful shove before turning and gesturing to the man now standing behind her. “This is my husband, Fred,” You reached out to shake his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, (Y/n),”

“You as well!” A look of confusion passed over everyone as the doorbell rang.“Are we expecting someone else?” Donna shook her head as she slipped by you to go see who was at the door. As soon as the door opened, the newcomer started squawking.

“About time!” Donna didn’t even have time to protest before a woman pushed passed her into the house. You knew something was off when Leonard tensed upon spotting the old woman, but you smiled politely anyway and tried to play nice. Well, at least until she opened her mouth and spoke.

“Leonard.” He nodded stiffly at her. She looked you up and down. “I see your taste in women has gotten worse in your age,” The tension in the room could have been cut with a butter knife, and only rose as you laughed aloud. Leonard looked down at you with wide eyes, confusion and hurt lurking in them.

“Aw, bless her heart, Len! If she thinks _you’re_ old, imagine how she’s gonna react when she looks in the mirror.” You couldn’t help but grin at the emotions flashing through his eyes, starting with confusion, then relief and pride, and finally settling on that mischievous glint that always meant trouble. His hand reached out and grabbed one of yours as you stepped forward to murmur in her ear. You giggled as you stood back up to place a kiss on Leonard’s cheek as his eyes darted between you and the older woman, noting the way her mouth hung open in an absolutely scandalized expression. “So nice to meet you, ma’am,” You spun as a new voice rang out.

“My God, is that really my big sister left speechless?” Eleanora McCoy stood in the doorway, presumably that led to the kitchen, with a smirk on her lips. Your mind caught up and began to panic as you realized who the lady behind you was. Before you could reply and apologize, she spoke out.

“How dare you! I was nice enough to come out here and-”

“And insult my son’s girlfriend? Belle, I think we have very different opinions on what constitutes as nice.” _Belle isn’t quite the name I would have given her_. You thought. 

“This is my house, and if you plan to stay, then you’ll keep a civil tongue in that sawdust mill you call a head.” The tension finally broke when Belle turned on her heel and stormed out the door, nose held high. “Well, I’d say don’t mind her, but clearly you didn’t,” Eleanora said as she walked over with a warm smile.

“I hope I didn’t cause any trouble-” She waved you off.

“Please, if anything, you saved us all from an evening of passive-aggressive comments,” She continued as you still looked concerned. “Trust me, even I know how much of a hag my older sister is. If there’s one thing Belladonna is good at, it’s causing trouble by sticking her nose where it ought not be, and anyone who can shut her up is more than fine by me.” She turned to look at Len. “Leonard,” He stood a little straighter at his name. “You’ve got quite the keeper.” He beamed with pride as he looked down at you.

“I know, Ma.” She clapped her hands together, and he gently looped his arm through yours.

“Well, come on, y’all. Food’s getting cold,” As you all made your way into the dining room, he pulled you off to the side.

“What in the hell did you say to make her blush like that, darlin’?” You bit your lip to stop a smirk as you replied.

“Just that I’m glad I know you now, cause I doubt I could’ve handled your youthful stamina,” His eyes widened, and he dropped his head on your shoulder as he laughed.

“God, I love you.”

“Damn right, you do,” You started to lean up for a kiss, but per usual, Jim’s voice cut in.

“Will you two get in here already?? I’m starving!” Shaking your head, you settled for a quick peck just to spite Jim.

“To be continued, then,” A smirk graced your lips as you turned and walked into the other room, knowing Leonard’s eyes would be glued to your hips.

“It damn well better be,” His growl sent a shiver up your spine, but as you walked into the dining room, Joanna took your hand and pulled you towards the head of the table where Eleanora sat. Three seats were empty, and Leonard took the one beside you while Jo sat across from you. As you sat down, his hand found yours, and he traced patterns on your skin as you conversed with everyone.

“Hey, dad? Do you think we could go out to the lake tomorrow?” Sensing his hesitance, you spun to look at him excitedly.

“You never mentioned a lake! You have to show me.” You shot a subtle wink in Joanna’s direction. Jim was the next to speak up.

“Yeah, Bones, it’s been a while since we’ve been out there. Could be fun.” Knowing he was outnumbered, Leonard rolled his eyes dramatically. You shared a look with Jim, fully expecting Len to put up a fight.

“I don’t see why not, Shug.” _Hmm. Maybe coming home was putting him in a good mood after all._ “It’s supposed to be a blazer, though, so don’t forget your sunscreen this time, Jim.” He hid a smile at Jim’s frustrated sigh.

“That was one time, would you let it go?” Jim’s amusement was cracking through his attempt to be annoyed, and everyone burst out laughing. By the time everyone had finished eating and cleaned up, the exhaustion from your trip finally caught up with you, and your head barely hit the pillow before you were asleep with Len following close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the supper thing has actually happened to me. As always, thank you so much for reading and if you liked it please feed my attention-starved soul and hit that kudos button ;) Nah but seriously though you guys are the reason this came into existence so thank you a thousand times over for your support.
> 
> If you have a suggestion or something you'd like to see happen during the story feel free to drop a line in the comments, or stop by and say hello on tumblr (pandaqueen7799 is my main blog)! I'm always looking to make some new friends so don't be shy! Love y'all <3


	3. Over the Creek and Through the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Went to the lake, assisted in peace negotiations following a heartless attack on an innocent population. Also, Leonard McCoy is a soft bastard and Jim does a lobster impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Southern Baptism- "Hold 'em under till the bubbles stop"

As far as mornings go, it really couldn’t get any better than waking up to the smell of bacon and rolling over to find one Leonard McCoy sleeping peacefully, no trace of stress on his face. Judging by the movements downstairs, breakfast was getting close to being ready, so you leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his lips before moving to get out of bed. Leonard, it seemed, had other plans as his arm shot out and wrapped around your waist to pull you back into him. “Leeen. Come on, let me go I need to shower.” You giggled as he buried his face in your neck.

“Just a few more minutes, darlin’,” He mumbled sleepily. You tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he only pulled you tighter against him.

“If I said you can join me in the shower, would you get up?” His movements stilled, clearly debating the choice. You grinned as he kissed your neck, knowing you’d won. “No funny business, though. I’ve scarred enough of your family members as it is.” You said as you rolled out of his grasp. You weren’t sure if it was your words or the knock at the door that caused Leonard to let out a groan and bury his face in his pillow.

“Bones! (Y/n)! Breakfast is on the table in 30, and El’ says we need to head out by 10 if we want to avoid trekking in the heat.” You didn’t even get to yell out an acknowledgment to Jim before the sound of rapid footsteps and calls of dibs on the bacon drew him away. You shook your head and smiled as you grabbed some light clothes to put on over your swimsuit after you finished in the shower. Leonard still hadn’t moved from his spot on the bed, so you threw a nearby pair of socks at his head.

“Come on, if we don’t hurry all the bacon will be gone,” He only offered a mumble into the pillow and wave of his hand in response, so you went into the bathroom to start your morning routine. You weren’t in the shower two minutes before the curtain was pulled back, and Len stepped in. He hissed and wrapped his arms around you as the water hit him. “Morning, beautiful,” You said as you reached up to run your fingers through his hair. He hummed in response as he grabbed your wrist and brought it to his lips to kiss your palm. You giggled as he began to trail kisses along your arm, across your shoulders, and up your neck. “Leo,” You warned half-heartedly as he nipped gently at the spot below your ear that always made you weak.

“Shh, let me love on you a minute, sugar,” Your resolve began to falter as his hands began to wander, and you huffed out a sigh as you turned to face him.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” He grinned and leaned down for a kiss. “McCoy, I’m serious. If all the bacon has been consumed when we get down there, I’m taking it out of _your_ ass.” He shook his head and reached behind you to grab his shampoo.

“I’d say I can’t believe you’d choose food over me, but I know you too well to be surprised,”

“Exactly, now hurry up,” Fortunately for Leonard, there was plenty of bacon left by the time you both made it downstairs. After helping clean up and pack a picnic basket for lunch, you headed out for the considerable hike to the lake. Your path led you through a picture-perfect forest, and you nearly tripped on no less than 4 gnarled roots as you tried to take in your surroundings all at once. Joanna had fallen into step beside you and was in the middle of telling you about the latest chapter of the book she’d been reading, when a wild Jim came crashing between you, cackling like a madman with a hollering Leonard hot on his tail.

“GET BACK HERE YOU CORN-FED INGRATE,” You turned to a bewildered Jo, and threw your hands up dramatically.

“Do you see what I have to put up with?” She burst out laughing, and by the time you’d reached the lake, you were both in stitches over the ridiculous things you’d been through thanks to your boyfriend and captain. “I’m serious, Jo! The tribbles were up to his chest, and more just kept falling and hitting him upside the head!” Leonard’s head shot around with a grin as you approached where he’d sat down in the grass.

“Are you talking about that time on K7?” You nodded, laughing too hard to speak. “I was gonna take a picture, but that damn Undersecretary got in the way,” You cocked your head at him as you caught your breath.

“Did I not tell you I got the security footage of it from the station?” His eyes went wide as a grin spread across his face.

“You did not!” He didn’t even try to hide his delight as Jim approached cautiously.

“I know that look. Why does he have the look, (y/n)?” Jim said as his eyes darted between the three of you. You offered a shrug and tried not to grin when you saw Joanna do the same. Leonard’s reached out his hand, and you grabbed him to help pull him off the ground.

“C’mon old man,” You quipped as you pulled sharply on his arm. “Need me to get you a walker?” He leveled a glare at you, and you just stuck your tongue out in response.

“Jim, you remembered your sunscreen, right? You’ve been out here less than an hour, and you’re already lookin like a pale lobster,” Jim’s face fell for a moment before he turned and waved a dismissive hand.

“Of course I did, Bones,” You looked over at Joanna and gestured between the two men as if to say _‘See what I mean?’_ “Besides, shouldn’t you be more concerned about the heat?” Jim dragged his hand across his sweat-drenched forehead as he stepped into the water.

“Oh, goody! Is this the part where I get to say I told you so?” You quipped, earning a splash of water from Jim. Unfortunately for him, Leonard got caught in the crossfire; and unfortunately for you, you made the mistake of laughing when Leonard spun on his heel so quickly he nearly lost his balance. You started to step back when an evil grin took over his face, and as he took a step forward, you turned to make a break for the safety of the trees. You made it barely three steps before you found yourself being lifted and carried back towards the water.

“Leonard Horatio, don’t you DARE throw me into this lake-” The words had barely left your lips when he did precisely that, and as you broke the surface, you caught sight of Joanna launching herself onto Jim’s back, forcefully dragging him under the water. Leonard was nowhere to be found, and you spun in a circle trying to locate him before he could strike again. You squealed and splashed at him when he popped up directly in front of you with a grin. “You butthead!” He just laughed and pulled you into his arms.

“You know you love it, sweetheart,” He said, but before you could reply, Jim’s head broke the surface, yelling like a wounded bloodhound.

“TrUcE!”

“What’s all this hollering about?” Donna’s voice cut over his as she approached the lakeside.

“Jim attacked an unsuspecting population, and the people retaliated. I believe peace negotiations were just about to start,” You called as you pushed off from Leonard’s chest. Donna just shook her head and laughed. The rest of the day saw two more calls for various truces, one threat of a southern baptism, and many many laughs shared between the family. As the day began to wind down, you decided to swim one last lap of the lake, and as you returned to the shore, you found Joanna arguing with her father.

“But Dad, it’s tradition! You don’t even have to come, I’ll take (y/n) with me so she can keep an eye on me,” She said as you walked up.

“Take me where?” You asked as you vainly attempted to towel your hair dry. _Stupid humidity_

“There’s a cave near one of the waterfalls up the creek. Every year before school starts, we take a rock from the shore here and carry it up to the cave for good luck,” Jo said, pleading with her eyes. You looked over to Len, finding his eyes for only a moment before he spun away from you, but oh, the emotions you saw in that moment.

“I said no, Joanna! That cave has brought nothing but bad luck, and I ain’t letting you go up there. Now, come on before the sun starts going down.” He yelled, causing both you and Jim to flinch. Joanna looked heartbroken but still followed him nonetheless.

“Yes, sir.” She said, and you walked forward to loop your arm through hers. _What in the hell could have happened at that cave for him to react so harshly?_ Sure, Leonard was always an overprotective grump, but you’d never seen him yell at Jo before. Not to mention the maelstrom of emotions you saw in his eyes. Joanna seemed to know what you were thinking about, as she spoke up once Leonard had gotten out of earshot. “I fell going up there a few years back and broke my arm,”

“He hates a cave because you fell?” You asked, not altogether surprised. She hesitated, clearly debating something. You stopped to give her time and ensure that Len wouldn’t stumble back into the conversation.

“I think he hates it because it was his tradition in the first place. Him and-” She cut herself off as the man himself came back through the trees. As he walked up, you leveled a glare at him, and he held up a placating hand.

“Jo, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Why don’t you go on ahead, and I’ll help (Y/n) avoid the roots,” He said softly, holding his arms open for her to hug him. She didn’t even hesitate to go wrap her arms around him.

“It’s okay, Daddy. I still love you,” Try as he might, there was no hiding the tears that welled up at her words, not that you would tease him for them anyway. He placed a kiss on her temple before letting her go, and she smiled at you before turning to go on ahead. He held out his hand to you, and you took it, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“You wanna tell me what that was about, Leo?” You asked a little farther down the path. He’d been silent so far, and he didn’t respond right away either.

“You have a secret spot growing up? Like where you’d hang out or whatever?”

“Um, yeah, I guess so. I assume the cave was yours?” He nodded as he held back a particularly large branch from the path.

“I spent most of my high school days in that cave. I came up with the rock thing at the end of summer before my freshman year; in the hopes that I would ask a girl out, and she’d say yes. Which she did.” It didn’t take you two seconds to realize who he meant. _Jocelyn_ “I took a rock up there at the start of every school year after that, and so did she. Then after we graduated, I took her up there one more time, to ask her to marry me,” Your heart broke for him, and you stopped and pulled on his hand to wrap him in a hug.

“Len I-”

“No, I shouldn’t have let it get to me. It’s been years since that now,” He said as he slowly relaxed beneath your touch.

“It’s okay, you’re human. What’s important is that you apologized to Joanna. She’s growing up, and she understands why you’re upset,”

“You think so?” You pulled back to look at him.

“I know so,” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. “Come on, Doctor McCoy. I need a shower and so do you,”

“Is that your way of telling me I smell like lake?”

“Yep!” You said with a cheerful grin. Leonard just shook his head as you both continued onto the house. After a quick shower and several rejected offers to help with the cooking, you found yourself once again seated at the table next to Eleanora, this time though there were two people missing. “Where’s Jim and Leonard?” The answer came in the form of muffled shouting and crashing from upstairs.

“Damn it, Jim! I told you to use the waterproof sunscreen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the baptism thing is a joke I promise we don't drown people anymore. I honestly struggled quite a bit with this chapter so if it's not up to my normal standard please forgive me. I've started a new full time job that literally drains me to the point where I come home and collapse so that's why this chapter was so late. Anyway enough with my excuses, next chapter is going to feature back to school shopping with Jo and Donna. As always thank you for your continued support and I'm so excited for things to come! 
> 
> Love y'all <3


	4. Where You Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um surprise! I’m not dead! This is so unbelievably late, I know and I am so so sorry, y’all. I have many reasons, but let’s just say life and plot. I hope the longer chapter will help make up for it and that y’all will enjoy!

Jim’s poor choice in sunscreen would have been funny if he wasn’t acting so pitiful, not that you could blame him, of course. Leonard ended up staying at home with him while you and the rest of the gang went out to finish up back to school shopping with Joanna. Which was an adventure in and of itself. Between the crowds of pushy parents with disinterested kids and the stifling heat, you were left wondering more than once if the sunburn could really be that much worse. On the bright side, you managed to sneak off to the bookstore with Joanna and had picked up a few – okay maybe more than just a few – books to add to your collection. Leonard, per usual, had plenty to say about that when you returned later that evening.

“(Y/n), you already have more books than you know what to do with!” He glared in exasperation at the books in your arms as you walked up towards the front door.

“You can never have too many books, McCoy,” He harrumphed as he stepped aside to let you into the house. “Besides,” You set the books down once inside, grabbing three to hand off to Joanna. “Not all of them are mine,” You winked over your shoulder at him, grinning when he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“And I thought I spoiled her,” Joanna giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she darted up the stairs with her haul.

“Oh, don’t worry, y’ know tomorrow is date night, I’ll spoil you just as much as I do her,” You headed up the stairs as well, giving him a pat on the chest as you walked by.

“Hey, hey, hey, now hang on just a minute there! It’s my job to spoil you, not the other way ‘round,” You rolled your eyes and turned to look at him as you reached the top of the stairs.

“Leonard McCoy, I adore you and your southern values, but that’s old fashioned; even for you,”

“He can’t help it, (Y/n). He’s just that old,” Jim’s voice sounded out from behind the door on the right, earning a scowl from Len. You snorted and continued into the bedroom you and Leonard were sharing.

“Bad news, Jim. We’re all out of painkillers,” Leonard barely finished his sentence before Jim was yelling again.

“What I meant to say was that he’s always right and we’re all always wrong,”

“Oh, how about that, I just found some!” You rolled your eyes in amusement as Len grabbed a nearby hypospray and headed across the hall.

“You’re a cruel man, Leonard McCoy! Threatening the sick and afflicted,” You called after him, grabbing what you needed for a quick shower.

“Yeah, Bones, I could be dying!” You could almost hear Len’s eyes roll, and you couldn’t stop the smile on your face at the mental image.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” The sound of a hypospray being administered was quickly followed by a yelp. “There, give it a few minutes to kick in.” You rushed into the bathroom before Leonard could return and question you further about what you had planned for tomorrow night. You took your time, hoping Leonard would let it go. Fortunately for you, he got assigned table setting duties; and by the time you got downstairs was deep in discussion with Donna and Fred. Supper also passed without incident, and you forgot about it, quickly saying goodnight to everyone before rushing upstairs to start on one of the new books. You were midway through the second chapter when Leonard came into the room, closing the door behind him. “Do you really think I’m old-fashioned?” His question threw you for a moment, but you swiftly caught up, setting your book down.

“That depends,” you said with a raised eyebrow. “Do you really think it isn’t right for me to spoil you?”

“Of course not! I’m not from the dark ages!” You gave him a small smile before returning to your book. “I would, however, like to know how you plan to do so,”

“I’m sure you would,” You laughed. He huffed in frustration, finally moving away from the door to strip down to his boxers and crawl into bed. “You’re annoyingly stubborn, y’ know that?” You smiled mockingly as you replied.

“You have absolutely no room to talk, McCoy.”

Leonard continued to pester you all day Friday, trying to get you to spill what you had planned for the evening. He finally gave up after you told him that you’d arranged for him to give a lecture at UGA on the physiology of Vulcans. In reality, you’d managed to get last-minute tickets to a local country music festival. You weren’t a huge fan of the genre yourself, and Len tried to keep it under wraps that he was; in fact, the only reason you knew was that time you walked in on him singing along to Hank Williams while working in his office. The day seemed to fly by in your excitement, and before you knew it, it was time to get ready. Anxiety began to creep in as you gathered everything the two of you would need. _What if he really doesn’t like what I planned?_ You were drawn out of your thoughts by a loud knock on the bedroom door.

“(Y/n), I’ll meet you at the truck. It takes a bit to get the old thing started,” Leonard’s voice came through the door.

“Okay!” You called back, reaching to grab your comm. A quick glance at the Chron had you scrambling into a pair of shorts and a tank top. You had a little over two hours to get to your destination, which was an hour and a half’s drive away. By the time you made it downstairs, Leonard had finished coaxing the old truck to life and stood leaning against the passenger side door, talking to his mother. As you approached, his eyes locked with yours, a smirk playing at his lips. Eleanora turned to follow his gaze, smiling warmly when she spotted you. 

“You look so pretty, (Y/n),” You blushed deep and grinned at the older woman.

“Aw, thank you!” Leonard seemed to agree, as his eyes hadn’t left your form since the moment you stepped outside. This, of course, didn’t slip El’s notice, and she gave him a sharp smack to the chest and a faux disapproving look. He at least had the decency to offer an apologetic smile as she shook her head in amusement before walking back towards the house.

“Y’all kids stay out of trouble, y’ hear?” She called from the door.

“Of course! We’re leaving all the trouble here, with Jim,” You giggled. Leonard just scoffed, reaching out to pull you against him once the door closed.

“You look gorgeous, sweetheart,” His hands settled on your hips, lips turned up in that criminally adorable little half-smile that had your heart skipping a beat.

“Nowhere near as gorgeous as you, Leo,” You replied. His smile turned into a full-fledged grin before he leaned down to claim your lips in a kiss. You melted against him as he deepened the kiss, silently requesting entrance with a drag of his tongue across your lower lip. You opened up to him without hesitation, your tongue dancing with his as the heat grew between you. He finally had to pull back for air, tugging at your lip before moving to your neck.

“Why don’t we forget whatever it was you had planned,” He nipped softly below your ear. “Just park the truck in this spot I know,” You had to bite your lip to keep from moaning as he trailed kisses back down your neck. “Let me peel these off of you,” His hand dropped to play at the edge of your shorts. You ran your hands up his chest and into his hair, tugging on the roots.

“As tempting as that sounds, Doctor McCoy,” He groaned and pulled you even tighter against him as you reached into your back pocket. “I’d really hate to waste these tickets,” He pulled back, eyes widening as he read the name of the festival.

“How the hell-” Anxiety tickled at the back of your mind at his less than enthusiastic response.

“I managed to pull a few strings,” You said, shrugging. Leonard still looked skeptical, and you had a feeling it was the southern gentleman in him rebelling against the idea of you doing things for him. “Don’t get too excited though, they’re just general admission, we still have to fight to get good seats,” He finally broke out in a grin, wiping out any worries about him not liking the surprise in an instant. His lips slammed into yours, the goofy grin still present. Leonard took the tickets from you and set them on the seat of the truck before his hands resumed their exploration of your body. His lips never left yours as he moved, the kiss dripping with love and affection, and it quickly grew heated. You finally had to pull back, albeit reluctantly. “We really do need to go, it’s a bit of a drive to get there, and I’d really like to get decent seats,”

“How far is a bit?” He asked, grabbing the tickets to look at the venue. “Athens. That is a ways away,” He stepped aside, gesturing dramatically towards the seat. “After you, sweetheart,” You hopped into the truck with a grin, sliding across the bench seats to lean against Leonard when he got in. He placed a kiss on your forehead and intertwined his fingers with yours. You settled into a comfortable silence as he drove, broken only by the occasional story connected to places you passed. His thumb stroked your knuckles soothingly, and you were nearly drifting off as you finally pulled up to the gate. “Damn it,” Leonard huffed in frustration as he tried to find a parking spot. While the crowd wasn’t monumentally large, it was still enough to fill a football stadium, so naturally, parking was a nightmare. By the time you managed to make it to the entrance, the first band was already on-stage, and the only place you could find a spot to sit was at the very edge of the lawn. Still, Leonard already seemed to be enjoying himself, so you weren’t too bothered. The musicians themselves were actually pretty impressive, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye; most of it spent with his arms wrapped around you from behind, swaying subtly to the music.

“Hey, Leo?” You extricated yourself from his embrace as one of the bands finished their set. “I’m gonna go get a drink, you want anything?” He shook his head, pulling you back against him and stealing a kiss.

“I’m good, thank you,” He murmured against your lips.

“Well how am I supposed to leave now?” You joked, leaning up to kiss him again before you turned and headed in the direction of the concession stand. Annoyingly, the crowd around you was extremely dense, and you had to duck and dodge your way through them. You barely made it ten feet when you heard the sound of a fist impacting someone’s nose behind you, followed by a surprised yelp. You spun on your feet, intending to help whomever the cry belonged to, but it seemed everyone around you had other plans. You had almost given up when the attacker’s voice rose above the crowd.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, Leonard McCoy,” Ice flooded your veins, and you began to shove your way through the unyielding crowd. The voice was female, leaving only one potential identity for the attacker. You finally managed to break through, rushing forward to put yourself between Leonard and the woman. “Get on up outta here, this is private business between me and my husband,”

“ _Ex_.” You turned away from her, ignoring her disbelieving sputtering as you dropped to your knees beside Leonard.

“Excuse me? Just who the hell do you think you are?!”

“Are you okay?” You asked as you handed him a few napkins. He gave you a thumbs up, too preoccupied with trying to staunch the flow of blood from his nose to actually respond before a hand came down on your shoulder.

“Bitch, I asked you a fucking question,” She tried to yank you backward, but you shrugged out of her grip with ease. “Who the fuck are you?” Growing annoyed, you stood to your feet. She stood maybe 4 inches taller than you, with dark auburn hair and brown eyes. You offered her your hand, not in the least bit intimidated.

“Lieutenant Commander (Y/n) (Y/L/N), Chief Security Officer of the flagship USS Enterprise, and girlfriend of one Leonard McCoy. Judging by your peachy personality, you must be Jocelyn. Pleasure to meet you and all but, unless you take a step back and leave us alone, I will not hesitate to put you on your ass.” Her mouth fell open and closed in outrage before she lunged at you with an animalistic screech. You dodged her easily, which only served to piss her off even more. She spun back around and ran towards you again. With the crowd of nosy patrons blocking your path, you had no choice but to brace yourself in a defensive stance as she got closer. You managed to block the first wild swing of her arm, but the second connected with your face, her nails digging deep into the skin. Ignoring the stinging pain, you grabbed her wrist as she swung again and twisted it sharply, forcing her to the ground.

“You bitch!” You let her go, turning to walk away as she continued to cuss up a storm. “She broke my fucking wrist!” The crowd had started to disperse, mumbles of “Just another drunk fight” could be heard all around as they ignored Jocelyn’s hollering.

“It’s not broken, just sprained!” You called back, but she was too busy yelling for “Someone grab that whore!” to pay you any mind. “C’mon, baby. Let’s get you out of here,” You helped Len to his feet, letting him drape an arm over your shoulder as you guided him to the exit gate. You were both silent as you made your way out to the truck. Leonard tried to argue when you dropped the tailgate and sat him down on it, but his bleeding nose forced him to plop down with a frustrated ‘hmph.’ “I’m gonna call and let El and them know what’s happened,” He nodded in acknowledgment, once again holding his nose with a napkin. It only took a couple of seconds before Mrs. McCoy’s voice came through the communicator.

“YN?” You cringed slightly, trying to figure out the best way to explain the situation.

“Hey, El. Um so, we ran into Jocelyn here at the festival, and uh, we had a bit of a scrap. We’re fine though, just uh…wanted to let you know before word got around.” You could hear the scrape of chairs in the background as Donna and Jim overheard your call.

“Oh my god, are you sure everything’s okay?” You looked back at Leonard, who was still holding his nose.

“Yeah, I mean, Leonard’s nose might be broken-”

“I’m fine!” He called, though the nasal tone of his voice didn’t really help his case.

“-And I’ve got some scratches, but she was too drunk to do any real damage,”

“What about her?” Jim’s voice came through the speaker. You cringed hard, knowing what was coming.

“I uh…well….I mean, she swung first…..”

“(Y/n) what did you do?” You sighed in defeat.

“I sprained her wrist,”

“That’s it? Ow!” Jim’s shout was followed by a sharp smack, so it wasn’t too hard to deduce what had happened. “I mean, glad to hear you guys are okay!” You shook your head, a small smile playing at your lips.

“Thanks, Jim. I’m gonna see if Len needs to go to the hospital about his nose, and then I’ll let yall know when we’re on our way back, okay?” You said, reaching behind the truck seat to grab the medkit Leonard had squirreled away.

“Alright, talk to you then. Drive safe!” Eleanora said before the line went dead. You shut the door and headed back around, opening the medkit on the way.

“Alright, let’s take a looksy,” You had barely made it around the back when the med kit was pulled out of your arms. “What are you doing?” You asked.

“My nose is fine, it’s stopped bleeding, unlike those scratches,” He said, pointing with one hand and rooting around in the medkit with the other. You brought your hand up to your face and hmm’d in surprise when it came back covered in dark red.

“I guess her nails were longer than I thought,” You said as you hopped up onto the tailgate. Leonard shook his head as he pulled what he needed to clean the scratches out. You closed your eyes as he tilted your face up and got to work. The silence let your mind begin to wander, and you became aware of the music in the background. Guilt washed over you as you realized that you were missing out on at least a third of the festival. “Sorry we had to leave early,” He paused in his movements, waiting until you opened your eyes to respond.

“You get attacked by my ex-wife, and yet you’re the one apologizing to me? She must have hit you harder than I thought,” He ghosted a smile when you rolled your eyes at him.

“Very funny. We wouldn’t have run into her if I hadn’t-”

“Did you become a psychic and didn’t tell me? Darlin’ there’s no way you could have known she’d be here,” He resumed his task, and you closed your eyes, returning to your thoughts. He was right, it wasn’t something anyone could have anticipated. Still, you had wanted this to be perfect for him, and being forced to leave was about as far from perfect as you could get. “I don’t have a dermal regen with me, so I’m going to have to stitch it the old-fashioned way,” He said as you heard him rummage around in the kit again. You huffed in frustration. Sure, Len had the steadiest hands this side of the galaxy, but that didn’t make it any less painful.

“Sure you can’t just kiss it and make it better?” You joked, trying not to wince as he started on the first stitch.

“Trust me, sweetheart, I wish I could,” If you weren’t so preoccupied with trying to be still you would have noticed the tightness in his voice, and if you’d have had your eyes open you would have seen the way his jaw clenched with every whimper you tried to suppress. Mercifully, he only had a few stitches to do, so it was over quickly. “Alright, you’re all done,” With the worst part over, you instantly picked up Leonard’s tone, and as he moved to clean everything up, you reached out and placed a hand on his arm.

“Leo?” He said nothing, just continued putting things back in the medkit. “I really am sorry this happened-”

“If anyone should be apologizing,” He snapped the lid closed, still avoiding your eyes. “It’s-”

“If you say ‘me’, I will actually break your nose,” He looked over at you, mouth open to argue but you continued before he could speak. “See, if I’m not allowed to blame myself, then neither are you. You’re not the one who started the fight, there’s nothing you could have done to help, and you damn sure didn’t force me to come on shore leave with you,” You hopped down from the tailgate and walked closer to wrap your arms around his neck; ensuring that he would be looking in your eyes as you spoke your next words. His hands fell to your hips as he let you finish. “There is nowhere in the entire universe I’d rather be than by your side, and a few scratches can’t even begin to compare to the thought of not having you in my life.” You choked on the last word, and Leonard pulled you into his chest, burying his face in your hair.

“How do you always know exactly what I need to hear?” He murmured. He didn’t bother trying to hide the tremors in his voice as he held you close. You held each other for a short while longer before you pulled back to offer a smile. Leonard released a deep breath, a faint smile gracing his own features as he rested his forehead against yours.

“C’mon, McCoy. Let’s get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, if you enjoyed please feel free to leave a kudos or comment! I love hearing from y'all <3


	5. Storms A-Brewin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Had to deal with the aftermath of date night, Leonard is a storm waiting to happen, and never play B.S. with Joanna. You will lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOO BOY. Finally got this done, and let me apologize once again for the wait. Work is finally looking like it’s gonna lighten up on me so hopefully I’ll be able to work on this a lot more now. As always, @bakerstreethound on tumblr is an angel who I love and adore and she’s the best.

You were greeted by the whole family as you finally pulled into the yard. Joanna nearly crushed poor Leonard in a hug the moment his feet hit the ground. “Hey now, it’s alright, Shug. We’re okay,” He held her tight, once again failing to hide the tears brimming his eyes. Jim had rushed to your side but stopped himself before he could aggravate his sunburn by hugging you.

“Gosh I can’t take you anywhere, can I?” He joked, but before you could respond, the sound of a car rolling up the gravel drive drew everyone’s attention.

“Apparently not.” You said after stepping back to see a black and white police vehicle approaching. Leonard quickly sent Joanna inside before coming over to place a supportive hand on your back.

“Leave it to Jocelyn to get the police involved.” He said with a clenched jaw. You both tensed as the door opened, and as the person inside stepped out, you looked up to see recognition on Len’s face. Eleanora was the first to speak.

“Sheriff Graham. What can we do for you?” The man stepped forward and shook his head gravely.

“’Fraid I’m here to talk to that boy of yours, El,” He continued walking forward as he spoke until he stood directly in front of you both. He looked you up and down before turning his attention to Leonard. “See, somebody down at the music festival got in quite the scrap with his ex-wife, and I had to come see for myself the woman who put her on her ass.” He broke out in a grin as he finished, and you felt Leonard relax beside you.

“Damn it, man, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Len said while reaching out to shake the sheriff’s hand. The man laughed and returned the gesture, and you quickly spoke up in surprise.

“Wait, she’s not pressing charges?”

“Well, she wanted to, but I’ve got about 30 witnesses that were ready to testify in front of God himself that she started it, so she gave up the notion pretty fast.” He said, finally turning his attention to you. “Leonard, please tell me this gorgeous gal is the one responsible.” You couldn’t help the slight blush dusting your cheeks as you nodded and reached out to shake the man’s hand.

“I’m afraid I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations, Sheriff.” You said. He laughed and waved you off.

“Not that it matters, but it would be kinda hard to play innocent considering you practically announced your name and rank to everyone in the vicinity, sweetheart. Which, by the way, was a hell of a ballsy move. How you ended up with this old stick in the mud is beyond me.” He said, giving Leonard a playful shove, which was met with a scowl. You giggled and moved to wrap your arms around Len’s waist.

“Just lucky, I guess.” You said, smiling up at your lover.

“He must be.” Said the sheriff with a wink. El, who had been standing off to the side, stepped forward to stand alongside the three of you.

“Why don’t you come inside and sit a spell, John? I’ve got some fresh tea in the fridge.” She said. The sheriff offered a polite smile before shaking his head.

“Naw, I’ve got to get back into town. It was great seeing y’all, though. Pleasure meeting you, Lieutenant Commander (Y/n) (Y/L/N).” He said, finishing with a tip of his hat. You grinned and gave a dramatic curtsy.

“Pleasures all mine, Sheriff Graham.” He shook Leonard’s hand again and hugged Eleanora before hopping back into his vehicle with a wave. You were waving back when the sound of the front door opening drew your attention. You turned to find Jim walking out with a look of disbelief.

“Did you just charm your way out of an assault charge?” He demanded. Deciding to mess with him, you nodded your head.

“Yep.” You said, popping the p. Leonard shook his head as you broke out in giggles. “No, Jim. I was smart enough to not throw the first punch, so we’re all good. He just stopped by to say hello.” Jim shook his head as you all made your way inside.

“Unbelievable.” He mumbled to himself. Once inside, Joanna was waiting to bombard you all with questions, until Eleanora eventually sent her, and everyone else, to bed. You finally relaxed as you got upstairs, not realizing how much tension you’d been holding in your body since the whole ordeal started. Leonard came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist.

“Some date night, this turned out to be, huh?” You said bitterly. He hummed in response as he buried his face in your neck.

“I’ve had worse. Cmon. Let’s just go to bed.” He mumbled against your skin. You sighed and nodded, letting him walk you forward until you reached the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone slept in the next day; no premade plans meant there was no rush to get up and get going. Nowhere was this more evident than the bed you were sharing with Leonard. He had wrapped himself around you like a koala and was refusing to let you get out of bed, citing “lazy day laws” as his excuse. When you finally made it downstairs, Joanna was curled up on the couch reading one of her new books while El and Donna sat watching the news. “Mornin’ you two. Give me just a minute, I haven’t started cooking yet, I wanna see the weather.” El said, moving to get up, but you were quick to jump in.

“No, no, don’t worry about it! Just point me in the direction of the cereal, and I’ll be right as rain, although I’ll let Len speak for himself.” You said, looking up over your shoulder at the man. He gave you a quick smile before looking back up to his mother.

“Yeah, Ma, don’t worry about it. I think you’ve earned a break from all the excellent cookin you’ve been doing all week.” She still looked hesitant as she replied.

“Well, if y’all are sure…”

“Absolutely.” You reaffirmed, nodding. She sighed and relaxed back into her seat.

“Cereal’s where it’s always been, Leonard.” He walked over and placed a kiss on her head.

“Thanks, ma.” She smiled and waved him off. He walked back over and took your hand to lead you into the kitchen, grabbing two bowls from one cabinet and the cereal from another. Jim walked in right as you finished pouring your bowl, grabbing the box from your hand. You shook your head as he grabbed a bowl, bright and chipper despite having clearly just rolled out of bed.

“Was he like this at the academy? I can’t imagine rooming with a morning person.” You jokingly asked Len.

“Worse than you can imagine, sweetheart.”

“Hey!” Jim cried out, indignantly.

“Up at 5:30 every morning. God knows how many times I’d come back from an overnight clinic shift to find that Hurricane Jim had hit, leaving snack wrappers and textbooks laying everywhere,” Leonard said, pointing at Jim, who’d decided to ignore him and read the news on his PADD instead. “Not to mention the number of women out there who had to endure me trying to explain that my roommate had already left and that she needed to go-” Leonard’s rant was cut off by the sudden sputtering and coughing coming from Jim. Leonard was by his side in a flash, and you turned to see Jim waving him off while laughing and coughing. “The hell’s wrong with you?” Len demanded. Jim held up a finger while he got himself under control and then handed Leonard his PADD.

“Just the greatest coincidence I’ve seen in years.” Leonard looked down at the device in his hand, his eyes bugging out comically as he read the screen.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” The sound of Joanna’s laughter and rapid footsteps nearly overwhelmed Len’s outcry. She turned the corner right as Len handed back the PADD.

“What’s-”

“Did you see” You and Jo spoke at the same time, but you were cut off by Leonard.

“Don’t.” Jim stood and walked over to hand you the device, ignoring Leonard throwing his hands in the air. You looked down at the screen, reading the headline.

_Massive Storm in Atlantic Upgraded to Hurricane Status._

“What’s so funny about-” Jim just pointed further down the article. 

_The storm, which has been dubbed Hurricane Leonard . . ._

You looked up at the man himself, valiantly trying not to laugh but you broke the moment you saw his grumpy scowl. He rolled his eyes and picked up his bowl. Jim took his PADD back and sat back down to finish his breakfast while you and Joanna set each other off in fits of giggles. By the time you both managed to rein yourselves in Jim and Leonard had both finished and Len stood at the sink washing out the dishes. You picked up your bowl still grinning as Jim and Jo retreated to the living room. “C’mon, Leo. Now we have something to call you when it’s time for annual physicals, and you go hunting for all the crew members.” He huffed and dried off his hands before walking over to you.

“Just for that, you can wash your own bowl.” He said, pointing at you, but there was the smallest trace of a smile on his lips, so you knew he wasn’t actually upset. You raised your hand in a mock salute.

“Aye, sir!” You said. His gaze darkened ever so slightly. He reached to grab your bowl and set it on the counter behind you as he leaned in.

“Good girl.” Was all he said before pressing his lips against yours, his words sending a shudder down your spine. The moment was short-lived, however, as Jim re-entered the kitchen.

“Oh, come on, really? We leave the room for two seconds” He trailed off and shook his head at your sheepish grin.

“Something we can help you with, or are you just intent on interrupting every moment I have with my girl?” Leonard said, looking over his shoulder. Jim held his hands up in surrender.

“Calm down, Romeo. I just forgot my PADD.” He said, walking over to grab the offending item before heading back towards the door. “As you were.” Jim said with a wave. Leonard shook his head and mumbled.

“As _you_ were.” He started to lean in again, but you reached up to press a finger against his lips.

“Can I finish eating, _Romeo_?” You asked. He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes before stepping away.

“I suppose.” He grumbled. You smiled and stepped forward to pull him into a quick kiss.

“Thank you, Doctor.” You said with a wink.

“Well how am I supposed to leave now?” He said jokingly, reaching out to pull you back into him. The answer came in the form of Joanna’s voice calling through the house.

“Dad we’re gonna play B.S. you want in?” You grinned as he shook his head and smiled before calling back.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.” He pressed one more kiss against your lips before turning to leave. “Want us to wait for you?” You shook your head and picked up your bowl.

“Nah, I want to watch Jo kick your asses.” Leonard scoffed as he walked away.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Much to your amusement and the boys’ annoyance, Joanna proved you right and absolutely slaughtered the two of them. Leonard lasted two games before admitting defeat, deciding instead to sit back and watch with you as Jim refused to give up. In fairness to him, he did manage to pull out a few wins, but Joanna was astonishingly good at reading when someone was lying. Leonard, proud papa that he was, spent the entire time with a smug grin on his face. Jim finally gave in when you joined a game, and it was with a near full deck in his hands, none in Jo’s, and the few remaining cards in yours that he cried out in surrender. Several hours later you found yourself laying on a blanket in the yard staring up at the stars in awe. Everyone else had gone to bed and you’d somehow convinced Leonard to join you. He sat beside you playing with your hair as you mapped constellations in your mind. “Can you believe we get to be out there?” You turned your head to look at Leonard, blushing slightly as you found him looking at you and not the sky. “Leo, why’d you agree to come to stargaze if you’re not even gonna gaze at the stars?”

“I am looking at the stars.” He said, brushing a stray piece of hair from your face. “I can see them reflected in your eyes.” You blushed crimson, and he huffed out a laugh. His fingers moved to cradle your face, but he stopped when his gaze fell on the stitches in your cheek. His expression turned serious and he gently brushed a thumb under them. “How are these feeling?” You shrugged before replying.

“Stings a bit, but otherwise okay.” He hummed in response, eyeing them for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction. You sat up and slid closer to kiss him softly. “Y’know, I wish that old truck wasn’t so loud. I’d’ve loved to have seen that spot you were talking about yesterday.” Leonard raised an amused eyebrow before wrapping an arm around your waist.

“Now she tells me.” He said sarcastically. You gave him a playful shove and shook your head, not bothering to hide the smile on your face.

“Ass.” He just nodded and claimed your lips once again. The kiss quickly grew heated, and eventually, you both had to break away.

“Can’t believe you’ve got me out here, sneaking kisses like some horny teenager.” He said, earning an amused scoff.

“Classy, McCoy. Real classy.” He smirked and stood to his feet, offering a hand to pull you up.

“Trust me, sugar. Just wait till we get to Charleston. I’ll show you how classy I can be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all so much for sticking with me through this, and if you're new here drop by in the comments and say hello! Love yall!!! 💜💜💜


	6. One More Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our last day in Georgia for now. Leonard is emotional, Jim is a child, and Eleanora is a mom to everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first and foremost. Blame bakerstreethound for the smut. That being said, if it weren’t for her this whole series would have died a long time ago, so I have to remind everyone how freaking amazing she is. I love her. Anywhoo for those who missed it, I just posted an update on my tumblr as to why I haven’t posted anything in ages, so go check it out if you’re wondering wtf’s wrong with me lol.

Packing up the next day proved to be as emotional as one would expect. Leonard and Joanna spent nearly every moment together, stubbornly pretending to be okay for the other’s sake. Both also came to you at different points with tears in their eyes, admitting how not okay they really were. You had expected it from Leonard, but you could hardly believe it when Joanna asked you to help her with something in her room, only to quietly break down the moment the door closed. You rushed forward to wrap her in a hug. 

“Hey, hey, easy now.” You said, stroking her hair, giving her time to gather before she stepped back, still sniffling.

“I know, I know, you guys will still call all the time, and everything will be just like normal-” She crossed her arms across her chest as she spoke. 

“Jo, there’s nothing wrong with missing your dad when he’s not here.” You said, offering an empathetic smile. “I know I still miss my family when I’m out in space. But you can always call him whenever you need him, even if it’s just to talk.” She was silent for a moment as she thought. 

“Do you still call your dad a lot?” She asked, and you hesitated before responding. 

“My dad and I have a complicated relationship. But I do talk to my grandfather nearly every day. My family likes to tease me about being a ‘papaw’s girl,’ but I firmly believe that a father-daughter bond, or in my case grandfather and granddaughter, is one of the most precious and beautiful things in the whole universe.” You once again wrapped her in a hug, hiding the way your eyes had begun to water. “Cherish yours.” She took a shaky breath before pulling out of your embrace. 

“Thank you, (Y/n).” She said, and you smiled warmly. 

“Anytime, peach.” You replied, and she grinned at your nickname for her. A knock at the door and the sound of a gruff voice had you both scrambling to hide the evidence of the tears shed. 

“Shug, is everything okay?” Ever the quick thinker, Joanna had an excuse ready to go before you could even open your mouth. 

“Yeah, Dad, I was just trying to show (Y/n) the braid you taught me,” She said, turning to give you a look which you acknowledged with a nod before she walked over and opened the door. You struggled to keep a straight face and hide the surprise at the fact Leonard knew how to braid hair and how Joanna had seemingly prepared an excuse. “I’m glad you’re here actually, you’re a lot better at it than me, and I could use your help.” Leonard didn’t hesitate before nodding, a smile gracing his handsome features. “Awesome!” Joanna said, matching her father’s grin. “Let’s go down to the sitting room, the light’s better.” She said as she walked past him, and you followed behind him. 

“Lord knows an old man needs-” You started, but Leonard spun and cut you off. 

“If you’re about to make a joke about my age-” To both his and your surprise, Joanna was the one to speak up and cut him off. 

“Is it a joke if it’s true?” You nearly bent double laughing at the betrayed and offended expression on his face as he turned to look at his daughter, who burst out laughing and offered an apologetic smile. Leonard scoffed and pointed at her accusingly. “Oh, I see how it is.” He feigned indignation as he strode towards the stairs. Jo, still laughing, cried out “Noooo” as he walked by and latched her arms around him in a hug. Leonard tried to keep up the act, but his smile betrayed him as he spoke. “No, no, I see whose side you’re on. Should’ve known y’all were gonna gang up on me.” You rolled your eyes in amusement and walked over to pat him on the shoulder.

“Aww, poor McCoy, the women are so cruel to you.” You said. He scrunched his face in mocking as he waved you off. 

“I don’t think you’re old, Bones.” Jim’s voice drifted up the stairs. Leonard shuffled to the edge as best he could with Joanna still wrapped around him. 

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.” He said with a scowl. You leaned over the railing to see Jim grinning as he shrugged.

“Probably because you know me too well,” Len just rolled his eyes in response. You chuckled, and Jim turned his attention to you. “Lieutenant Commander (Y/n), you are hereby ordered to report to the kitchen for cobbler duty.” Both Leonard and Jo perked up at the mention of their favorite dessert. “Munchkin, it’s your job to keep Gramps out of the kitchen, we’d like for there to actually be some left for the rest of us.” He said, sending a wink in her direction. Much to your surprise, Len didn’t comment on the jab; in fact, the words that left his lips were so far from anything you expected it took a beat for you to process them.

“Actually, I was going to ask little Miss here if she’d be interested in going down to the lake with me real quick,” Joanna looked up at him in confusion.

“Can I ask why?” She asked as she let go of him.

“Well, I’d been thinkin about the other day, and since you’re starting high school, I figured it’s high time we came up with a new tradition. Just the two of us.” He said, and though he was smiling, you could tell he was nervous. He needn’t have worried though, as Joanna immediately lit up and was nodding in excitement.

“That’d be awesome!” She said, and she once again wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He released a breath as he returned the embrace. You smiled and shot him a thumbs up once they broke apart.

“Go grab your shoes and some water from the kitchen, since I’m not allowed in there.” Leonard stood aside as he spoke, allowing her to step past him. She quickly darted down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

“Well done, McCoy,” You said, stepping forward to wrap your arms around his neck. He turned the faintest shade of red as his hands naturally fell to your waist. “Be safe, okay? I don’t want to have to come pull you out of a hole again.” He scoffed and pulled you flush against him.

“As I recall, it was after that particular madness that you told me you loved me for the first time. So,” Leonard tilted his head and smirked before continuing. “Well worth it, in my book.” You rolled your eyes and leaned up to kiss him softly.

“You don’t have to be missing for two days in the forest to hear me say that,” He raised an eyebrow to prompt you to continue. Giving a dramatic sigh, you moved to cup his face in your hands. “I love you, Leonard McCoy.” You said, with as much conviction as you had the first time you’d said that to him. His gorgeous hazel eyes were locked on to yours as he leaned in. You fought to suppress a grin as you dropped your hands from his cheeks, giving your partner in crime space to move in.

“I love you, too, Bones.” Jim said, causing your lover to yell as he planted a sloppy wet kiss on Leonard’s cheek. Leonard’s hand flew behind him in reflex, smacking Jim right in his chest as he tried to dodge away. He gave a howl and stumbled backward. Leonard spun in shock and darted towards Jim.

“Damn it, man!” Len shouted as he placed a gentle hand on Jim’s back. Jim, who was bent over wheezing, attempted to wave him off.

“No, I deserved that,” He spoke between a gasp and a laugh. “Just give me a minute,” Jim’s face contorted as the pain no doubt throbbed through his chest. “Hell of a swing,” Footsteps downstairs had you again leaning over the railing, and this time it was Eleanora’s face looking back up at you. 

“What the devil’s goin on up here?” She said, climbing the stairs quickly. You blushed slightly at her tone, reminding you all too much of your grandmother.

“Sorry, ma’am. Little bit of a prank gone wrong.” You said as she reached the top. Jim tried to stand up straight but only managed enough to look at Mrs. McCoy.

“My fault, El.” He groaned. She shook her head and pointed a stern finger at him.

“James Tiberius, you’re almost more trouble than you’re worth,” She said. Jim offered a mix between a grimace and a smile.

“I know.” He said. Instantly her face softened, and she turned her attention to the man now heading towards her.

“Leonard, get the-“She started, but Len was already nodding as he spoke.

“The aloe, I know.” He headed down the stairs to retrieve the soothing ointment, and El turned her gaze back to Jim.

“You sure you’re alright, son?” She spoke gentler now, but her voice still held the same stern exasperation you often heard from Leonard. Jim gave her a weak thumbs-up, though his usual charming smile was replaced with a wince.

“Yeah, just really stings. Nothing a nap, some aloe, and a hypo won’t fix.” He said. You turned and followed Leonard downstairs, a laugh escaping you as you found him scowling outside the kitchen door. He turned and rolled his eyes at you right before Joanna emerged with two bottles of water and the aloe.

“I’ll meet you outside.” He said as she handed the aloe over. She sent you a huge grin as she skipped past you and out the front door. You started to lean up for a kiss as Leonard approached, but he just shook his head. “Oh no, troublemaker.” You pouted, but he just chuckled darkly and grabbed your hip to pull you against him. “You’re lucky we’re here and not at home.” He whispered into your ear. You suppressed a shiver at the feeling of his breath against the sensitive skin. He released you and walked away, smirking before you could reply, and you let out a frustrated huff. _Damn_. The sound of footsteps on the stairs signaled El was heading down, and you took a moment to shake your head and clear your thoughts. You smiled as she approached and followed behind her into the kitchen. Donna looked up from the stacks of recipe cards laid out on the table as you walked in. 

“Trouble?” She asked with a small smile. You tilted your head in confirmation as you responded.

“With those two? It’s always something.” 

“I don’t know that you have much room to talk.” She laughed and gestured to her cheek. You reached up to feel the stitches and gave a nervous laugh. 

“Heh, okay yeah, we’re all three getting into trouble constantly,” You said, pulling up a stool and smiling softly. “But we’ve got each other’s backs. Len patches Jim and I up, mind you he’s gonna fuss the whole time, and we keep him safe when he’s playing doctor on a remote planet to some less than friendly locals or whatever the case may be. None of us would be here without the others.” Donna shared a look with her mother as you finished, far too quick to decipher its meaning before the older woman grabbed a basket full of peaches and set them on the table. 

“Mama I think we may have lost the recipe-” Donna began, but Eleanora just held up her finger and sent you a wink. 

“Do you think I’d leave my award-winning recipe just laying around where anyone can find it?” She said, chuckling and reaching into the pocket of her apron. “(Y/n) why don’t you get started on peeling and slicing these here,” She patted the basket of peaches. “The peeler’s in that drawer there behind you, so’s the knives.” Once you helped clear the stacks of cards off the table, you washed your hands and grabbed a peach. Unable to resist the urge, you lifted it close to your face and inhaled it’s sweet scent deeply.

“Mmm. Are these local?” You asked, sparking conversation about how you get fresh fruit while lightyears away in space. One conversation led to the next, and before you knew it, two hours had flown by. You had come to learn that Eleanora was an absolute powerhouse in the kitchen, although you could have figured that from the astounding food you’d had over the last week. Her peach cobbler really had won awards all over the county, and the recipe for it had been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. On the other hand, Donna didn’t quite have her mother’s finesse when it came to baking.

“Listen, I can cook just as well as anyone, but when it comes to baking?” She laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t know why, but something always goes wrong.” Eleanora started to reply, but the sound of the front door opening signaled Len and Jo’s return. El shook her head and looked at the clock on the wall.

“Leave it to my son to come back right as the food’s coming out of the oven.” You giggled as she spoke and moved to pull the mouth-watering dessert from the oven. The man himself walked through the door only a moment later, with Joanna trailing behind him chanting ‘Food! Food! Food!’.

“My god that smells amazing,” Leonard said with a massive grin on his face. He walked to El and waited for her to set the cobbler down. “As always, of course.” He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on her temple. She smiled knowingly and patted him on the cheek before nodding over her shoulder.

“Go on, you can wait till dinner like the rest of us.” Len scowled but quickly wiped the look from his face when his mother glared back. He cleared his throat and moved to open one of the cabinets.

“I’ll go ‘head and set the table.” He grumbled. His attention jumped to you as you giggled again, offering an apologetic smile, which he ignored. “Don’t suppose you’d like to help, would you?” You hopped off of the stool and walked over to pat his shoulder. 

“Absolutely.” 

====================================================================================================

It took a little while after you’d finished setting the table before everyone was seated together eating once again. Leonard and Jim were arguing about the plan to drive in the old truck, with Leonard insisting that Jim was too old and too sunburned to ride in the bed for nearly 5 hours. Of course, Jim was adamant that he could do it, and it took the arrival of the cobbler for them to finally stop bickering. One bite, and you instantly understood why. It was all you could do not to moan aloud as the warmth and flavor blessed your tastebuds, and for a moment, you could have sworn you entered a different plane. The sound of a throat clearing made you realize you’d closed your eyes, and your cheeks flushed red as you opened them to see Eleanora standing beside your chair. Confusion passed over your face as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a handwritten index card.

“What’s this?” You asked politely, reaching up to grab the card. As you read, your eyes went wide, and you started to protest. “El, I couldn’t possibly-”

“Yes, you can.” Her voice was stern, but her eyes held a warmth, not unlike that of the dessert itself. “I insist.” You were dumbfounded as you carefully set the card on the table. Your eyes found Leonard, who was frozen mid-bite, staring at you in stunned awe. 

“I don’t even know what to say, ma’am. I’m honored.” You finally stammered out. Eleanora’s smile matched the warmth in her eyes as she patted you on the shoulder before returning to her seat. 

“Close your mouth, son. You’re drooling on my tablecloth.” She said as she sat down. You looked back over to Leonard and giggled softly as he swallowed and wiped his chin.

“Sorry, Momma.” He said, still staring at the card. All was silent for a few moments until Joanna finally spoke up and broke the tension.

“Daddy?” She asked, and Leonard instantly turned all his attention to her.

“Yeah, Shug?” He replied. She hesitated for a moment, causing one of his eyebrows to rise slowly in concern. 

“I was wondering if you could drop me off at school tomorrow. I meant to ask earlier, but I forgot.” She looked at him with pleading eyes as she finished. Leonard chuckled before answering.

“Well, of course. You didn’t think I’d miss out on embarrassing you on your first day, did you?” Everyone but the man himself rolled their eyes. “Is it alright if (Y/n) and Jim join us? That way, we could head straight out from there.” He asked, and Joanna nodded quickly. 

“I was hoping they’d come too.” She said brightly. Len smiled and tilted his head in affirmation.

“Then it’s settled.” Everyone resumed eating, and before you knew it, you found yourself once again in bed with Leonard’s arms holding you against him. You were squirming as he pressed kisses into your neck, trying to ignore the large hint to his intentions pressing against your backside.

“Leonard.” You whispered in warning. He ignored you, his hand sliding beneath your waistband. “L-Leo-” Your voice came out as more of a choked gasp as his fingers slipped inside you for a moment before moving to stroke your clit. 

“Do you know how much I love you?” He spoke lowly, nipping at the skin on your neck. You fought to control yourself as a moan threatened to escape.

“I think I have a pr-pretty good idea,” You bit your lip and whimpered as he slid one long finger deep inside you, before quickly adding a second. You surrendered into him as he curled them in the perfect ‘come hither’ motion. Your hand flew up to cover your mouth as a loud gasp escaped you. 

“How about I show you how much anyway, just to be sure?” You couldn’t reply as he began a relentless assault, all of your focus needed to remain silent. _CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP_ A whimper once again escaped as Leonard quickly withdrew his fingers, using his other hand to grab his PADD. “Who the hell is sending me a message this late?” He grumbled, and you looked over his shoulder in curiosity.

_Pls don’t. -J_

You blushed crimson as you realized what he meant, and gave Leonard a smack with the pillow. 

“SEE!” You whisper shouted. “Be glad it was Jim and not your mothe- mmph!” Leonard silenced you with a demanding kiss that left you breathless. 

“Just gonna have to be quieter, Sugar.” He moved to pin you beneath him as he whispered into your ear. “Think you can do that for me?” He pulled back to look at you, eyes searching for any sign you really wanted him to stop. You huffed and reach up to pull him into a kiss.

“Damn you.” As his hand slid back down your body, you willed the bed to remain silent, hoping that Jim wouldn’t be too harsh in the morning.

====================================================================================================

As it turned out, you were all too busy trying to sort out the luggage situation to worry about what might have been heard the night before. Jim had most of it in the truck bed with him, but there were only so many bags he could keep watch on, so three ended up in the cabin with Leonard, Joanna, and you. Your goodbyes ended up rushed as the time came closer for Jo to be at school, and when you got on the road, you had barely 45 mins to get her there on time. The whole drive there, Leonard had a death grip on the wheel, and the tension in the truck only skyrocketed as you pulled up to the school. One of the many downsides of such a small town was that everyone knew everyone else’s business. One look at the group of parents standing nearby, and you instantly knew what they were saying. Deciding to avoid any more attention than you’d already drawn, you quickly helped Jo climb out of the truck. You’d started to hop back in when you heard Joanna say your name. Before you could finish turning back, she’d wrapped around you in a hug. You couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you returned the hug.

“Thanks for letting me stick around, Peach.” You said as you broke apart. She laughed and reached up to swipe at her eyes.

“Thanks for being here, (y/n)” You nodded and glanced over her shoulder at Leonard, who was doing his best to keep it together.

“Anytime,” Jim hopped out of the truck bed as you spoke, and threw his arms out dramatically. Jo giggled and threw her arms around him, too, allowing you to subtly grab Leonard’s attention. Even from a few feet away, he looked shaky. You smiled softly at him and gestured slightly. “Breathe.” You mouthed, and he nodded, taking a deep breath. 

“JO-JO!!” You looked around in confusion as a voice yelled across the front lawn. Joanna broke out in a smile and spun in excitement, and you spotted the owner of the voice right as she started to wave. “C’MON, IT’S ALMOST TIME FOR THE BELL,” The kid, presumably Jo’s friend, called out. Joanna looked at her watch, and her face fell. She turned to Leonard, her mouth open to speak, but he just waved her on.

“It’s alright, Shug. I’ll be back in a couple weeks when we leave. Don’t be late.” He said, and she frowned apologetically before turning to head towards the building. She made it two steps before Leonard spoke again. “Jo!” She stopped on the spot and turned back. Your heart broke as Len swallowed hard before calling out. “I love you.” His voice broke, and Joanna was running back in an instant, slamming into him in a hug. 

“A bushel and a peck,” You heard her say softly, and Leonard held her tighter before they spoke together. 

_“And a hug around the neck”_

“Go on,” Leonard said, finally breaking the embrace. “Your grandmother’ll kill me if I make you late on your first day.” Joanna nodded and took off sprinting. Len said nothing as he made his way back into the truck.

“Take your time, Bones. We’ve got all day.” Jim said gently. Leonard waved him off and slid into the driver seat.

“I’m good. Let’s get going.” He mumbled. You looked at Jim and gave him a nod.

“I’ve got him, don’t worry.” You whispered, and Jim hesitated for a moment before sighing and climbing back into the truck bed. Leonard cranked the engine as you hopped inside, offering a small smile when you slid over to take his hand and press a kiss to his palm. “You did great, Leo.” He leaned over and place a kiss on your temple before grabbing ahold the gear shift. Nothing else was said as he shifted into gear and pulled out onto the road. You knew he needed time, and he knew you’d be there when he was ready. He just hoped you both were ready for what lay ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you so much for reading, and if you enjoyed, drop a kudos or stop on by down in the comments! Love y'all 💜💜💜💜


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